We have our work cut out for us in the coming years. The threats to critical affordable and supportive housing programs that serve the poorest households and those with disabilities are real and significant. Become involved in planning the 2018 Congressional Reception!

NJCounts 2019

All twenty-one New Jersey Counties will be counting individuals and families who were homeless – both sheltered and un-sheltered - on the night of Wednesday January 23, 2019.This annual census is conducted by networks of organizations, agencies and others that plan community efforts to end homelessness and is coordinated by Monarch Housing on the statewide level.

The goal of the second Annual Homeless Sabbath is to engage as many congregations of all faiths to include readings in their service(s) held on December 15th, 16th and 17th, 2017, at their respective house of worship. Click here to register online to participate.

Senator Menendez and 4 New Congress Members Elected in NJ

On Election Day, November 6, 2018, the Democrats gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Republicans grew their majority in the U.S. Senate in the midterm elections. Although a few races for Congress remain undecided as of today with recounts and runoffs occurring in several states.

In New Jersey, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was re-elected to a 6-year term in the Senate. And in the Congress, U.S. Representatives:

While the split Congress will most likely lead to legislative gridlock at the federal level, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), of which Monarch Housing is a member, pledges to continue to work with the many new and existing congressional housing champions to push for affordable homes for the lowest income people.

Committee assignments and new leadership roles have yet to be determined, but current ranking member Maxine Waters (D-CA) has confirmed that she will be taking over as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) is expected to chair the Housing and Insurance subcommittee.

Representative Waters has long been a champion of affordable housing and is expected to use her position to focus on pressing housing challenges across the nation and oversight of federal agencies.

On the appropriations side, following the retirement of Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, (R-NJ-11), Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) will likely lead the full House Appropriations committee, with Representative David Price (D-NC) serving as chair of the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD) subcommittee.

One of the first tasks of the Appropriations Committee will be to negotiate a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to lift the spending caps on domestic and defense programs for the FY20 spending bills.

In the Senate, some significant changes to committee leadership could occur if Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) takes over as chair of the Finance Committee for Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who retires this year.

Unlike Senator Hatch who co-authored legislation with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to expand and reform the Low Income Housing Tax Credit to better serve households with the lowest incomes, Senator Grassley has been a critic of the tax credit program.

During the “lame duck” session – after the elections and before the new Congress members take their seats in January – the House and Senate will have a number of legislative items to address, including the FY 2019 spending bill, a disaster recovery package for communities impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, tax extenders, and other must-pass legislation.

While the current Continuing Resolution will keep the government open to December 7, it is unclear whether Congress will be able to enact final spending bills before the end of the year. Some experts worry that President Trump will use the approaching immigrant caravan from Central America to threaten a government shutdown in exchange for funding to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

A disaster recovery package, on the other hand, is very likely to be passed once FEMA and HUD have finished their assessment of unmet housing and infrastructure needs, which could be completed before the end of the year; members of the North Carolina and Florida delegation are eager to deliver much-needed resources to their states.

The lame duck session also presents an opportunity to enact part or all of the Cantwell-Hatch Affordable Housing Tax Credit Improvement Act on a tax extenders package, with a fix to the 4% floor on the list of top priorities for congressional champions.

Congress only has a few weeks to tackle its packed legislative agenda before time runs out.

Participate in Homeless Persons Memorial Day Vigil – attend the vigil and help remember our neighbors who died due to lack of housing and supportive services;

Engage – talk to your family, your neighbors, your co-workers and elected officials about homelessness in Union County and how we need to work together to end homelessness. To achieve that goal, we need to change the conversation and focus on the needs of our neighbors; and

Form a homeless ministry - Begin discussions that focus on what more your congregation can do to end homelessness.